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SIBYLLINE LEAVES 



WHEREIN ARE TO BE FOUND 



THE OMENS OF FATE 



BY 



URSA MAJOR X^, 



'Si 



ILLUSTRATED 



"See here thy pictured life" 




BOSTON 

CUPPLES, UPHAM AND COMPANY 

Cbt ©m Corner -eoofeDtore 

283 Washington Street 



'^6 






Copyright, isa4. 
By GEORGE COOLIDGE 




CHURCHia* 



C O N 1^ E N T S . 



Artists anp Descuiptions of Pictikes 

exordiim .... 

SIBYLLINE LE.WES : — Tlie Mystic Key 

The Revery 

The Omen . 
Illustration 

The F.\ir .\ngler 
The Omen . 
Illustration 

WiTiioLT A Ci,oi:d 
The Omen . 
Illustration 

Harmony 

The Oinen . 
Illustration 

The Lark . 

The Omen . 
Illustration 

. The Improvised Shii: 
The Omen . 
Illustration 

He's Gone . 

The Omen . 

Illustration 

The Spring Concert 
The Omen . 
Illustration 

A IIelpini; Hand 
The Omen . 
Illustration 



Paga 

4 



opposite 



opposite 



opposite 



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opposite 



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0[)posite 



oi)posite 



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9 

10 
10 

u 

12 
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13 
U 
13 

15 
IG 
15 

17 
18 
17 

19 
20 
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21 
22 
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23 
24 
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25 
26 
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Pane 


CiTPiD Sleeping 27 


The Omen . 






28 


Illustration 






opposite 28 


Woodland Vows 






29 


The Omen . 






30 


Illustration 






opposite 29 


The Betrothal . 






31 


The Omen . 






32 


Illustration 






opposite 31 


Wedded 






03 


The Omen . 






34 


Illustration 






opposite 33 


Defiance 






35 


The Omen . 






3C 


Illustration 






opposite 35 


The Kose of Destiny 






37 


The Omen . 






38 


Illustration 






opposite 38 


Pity and Love ai!k akin 






39 


The Omen . 






40 


Illustration 






ojiposite 40 


The Breeze 






41 


The Omen . 






42 


Illustration 






opposite 42 


Persepolis . 






43 


The Omen . 






44 


Illustration 






opposite 44 


The Stampede 






45 


The Omen . 






4G 


Illustration 






opposite 45 


The Chess-Players . 






47 


The Omen . 






48 


Iliustration 






opposite 47 



(3) 



ARTISTS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF PICTURES. 



THE REVERY (Facing page 10.) 

AuBEKT, Painter. Thibault» Engraver. 

"It would not be a forced idea to iraagiDC that this is a maiden who 
has wandered pensivt-Iy down to the seashore of one of the isles of ancient 
Greece, and is resting herself abstractedly on a mass of rock covered with 
sea- weed, while she recalls ecenes of past enjoyment, or mourns over the 
absence of some loved one." 

THE FAIR ANGLER (Facing page 12.) 

V. Talmaroli, PainUr. Levasseur, Engraver. 

A daintily dressed young lady sitting on a stone balustrade, and fishing 
in a pool, Palmaroli is a Spanish artist, likened sometimes to Fortuny 
and to Meissonier. 

WITHOUT A CLOUD (Facing page 13.) 

Mrs. Anderson, Painter. J. J. Chant, Engraver. 

A happy little girl, with bright face and laughing eyes, full of health 
and joy. She hcMs a spray of ivy in her hands, and wreathes it around 
her heud. The whole wcjU realizes the title of the picture, — entire free- 
dom from care or trouble. 

HARMO:S'Y (Facing page 15.) 

DiCKSEE, Painter. Cu. Waltner, Etcher. 

An asstbctic maiden, sitting before t\\\ organ, and with a handsome 
young cavalier looking into her eyes. On one side is a great stained-glass 
window. The artist is English. 

THE LARK (Facing page 17.) 

R. Betsculag, Painter. P. Droeumer, Engraver. 

A pretty Greek girl, seated on a flowery bank and looking upwards at 
a lark soaring melodiously above the fields. She is bare-armed and bare- 
footed, her hair is simply bound with ribbon, and she wears a light but 
graceful costume. In the distance is a classic leraple surrounded with 
pines and poplars. 

THE IMPROVISED SHIELD (Facing page 19.) 

E. RuDAUX, Painter. P. Girardet, Engraver. 

One of this artist's pleasing rustic idyls. A strolling painter, and a 
pretty shepherdess with whom lie has been flirting, are surprised by the 
appearance of the girl's master, ^a farmer, who stops his load of hay to 
gaze curiously at the artist's picture, which is on an easel in the back- 
ground. The painter hides in the hollow trunk of an old tree standing 
near, and the girl places hci-self in front of him. A goat and kids are in 
the foreground. 

HE'S GONE! (Facing page 22.) 

E. Metzmacher, Painter. H, Eichens, Engraver. 

The fair one who lately parted from her lover we see gazing fondly 

after his retreating figure as his horsu winds his way along the forest 

path. We know not to what fate the cavalier goes forth; but we wish 

him a safe and speedy return, and the lovers a happy meeting. 

THE SPRING CONCERT (Facing page 2-t.) 

J. L. IIamon, Painter. E. Abot, Engraver. 

A tall and stately woman, in serai-classic costume, stands among the 
fresh flowers of the field, beating lime with an arrow, while a choir of 
birds, perched upon an adjacent bush, join her in singing to the spring- 
time. Plump little Cupid holds up a great book on his head, for the 
birds to read their music from. 

A HELPING HAND (Facing page 26.) 

E. Renocf, Painter. 
A fishingboat, in which ia seated an old and weather-beaten tar, with 
pipe in mouth, who sits facing us, and pulls at a heavy oar. Beside him 
is a little girl, perhaps his grand-daughter, who essays to help him with 
her tiny fingers. He looks at her with a kindly smile, taking the will for 
the deed. Before them a distant island aud a few quiet sails relieve the 
calm surface of the sea. 

CUPID SLEEPING (Facing page 28.) 

L. Perrault, Painter. 
A charming piclui-c of the little rosy god of Love asleep in the forest, 
on the edge of u brook. His bow aud quiver lie idly by; and we can 
imagine some bright nymph of the wood stealing near to admire the 
pretty boy, without risk of danger to her heart. The painter is French, 
and a pupil of Bongucreau. 

WOODLAND VOWS (Facing page 29.) 

Betschlag, Paint' r. Eicuens, Engraver. 

A dim forest scene, with a great smooth tree-trunk in the foreground, 

npon which a patrician youth has cut two initials, and is surrounding 

them with the outline of a heart. A richly clad young woman leans upon 

his shoulder, and watches his work with a pleased expression. Robert 



Beyschlag is a prominent German artist. His most celebrated picture is 
" Psyche and her Urn," exhibited at the Vienna E.-^position of 1873. 

THE BETROTHAL (Facing page 31.) 

Dieffenbach, Painter. A. and E. Varin, Engravers. 

A picturesque German room, with the newly afilanccd couple on one 
side, and their conseutiug parents drinking to their prosperity. On the 
floor, cats, dogs, children, toys. 

WEDDED (Facing page 33.) 

Sir Frederick: Leighton, Painter. 
Two happj' lovers, newly wed, walking on an arched terrace under a 
southern sky. The bride, a type of rare and stately beauty, is supported 
in the arms of her husband, a noble young athlete, and leans her face back 
to his while he kisses her hand. He wears a leopard-skin over his tunic, 
and she a richly flowered gown above a white underdress. An idyl of 
tender love and happiness in the days of old Rome. 

THE DEFIANCE (Facing page 35.) 

CooMANS, Painter. Jouanin, Engraver. 

A gallant little Roman boy stands in the centre of the room, his arms 
folded, and his* foot pressed down on a doll; a laughing matron regards 
the other children thus defied ; and Nemesis, in the form of a handmaiden 
bearing a scourge, steals upon the little warrior from behind. 

Coomans was born at Brussels in 1816, studied art at Ghent and Ant- 
werp; spent several years in French Africa, painting Arab scenes and 
battle-pieces, and went to Italy in 18')7; after which he devoted himself 
to representations of classic life and history. • 

THE ROSE OF DESTINY (Facing page 38.) 

Laslett J. Pott, Painter. J. J. Chant, Eiigraver. 

A beautiful girl in old-time costume, sitting on a bench in a garden, and 
gazing thoughtfully at a rose held in her hand. Her shawl and pet pug- 
dog are on the other end of the seat. 

FOR PITY AND LOVE ARE AKIN (Facing page 40.) 

Frank Miles, Painter. R. Joset, Engraver. 

A fair-haired young girl, seated with her hands on her knees and a se- 
rious look on her pleasing face. The picture is owned by the Prince of 
Wales. 

THE BREEZE (Facing page 42.) 

J. E. AUBERT, Painter. 

A charming maiden uplifts a rose, from which the petals are stripped 
one by one by the wind. She is clad in light drapery of classic simplicity, 
and sits on a rock near the shore of a lake which is seen in the background. 
A picture of poetic grace and beauty. 

PERSEPOLIS (Facing page 44.) 

B. Riviere, Painter. F. Stacpoole, Engraver. 

" They say the Hon aud the lizard keep 
The courts where Jamshyd gloried and drank deep." 

Omar Khayyam. 
A solemn and impressive scene amid the ruins of the ancient capital of 
Persia, showing u vast and wide terrace covered with shattered columns, 
and fragments of gigantic statues, which cast deep shadows in the moon- 
light. Some lions move stealthily about the massive steps, and lizards are 
creeping over the worn and broken stones of the pavement. The stara 
shine out from the sky, looking down upon this abode of departed great- 
ness, once the palace of a mighty monarch, but now forsaken and deso- 
late, untenanted save by beasts of prey and reptiles. In the distant back, 
ground the sleeping hills enclose the awful sadness of the lonely plain. 
Pcrsepolis, *' called the throue of Jamshyd," the legend says, was founded 
and built by that potentate, who belonged to one of the mythical dynasties 
of Persia, and was known as '• King Splendid." Conti^ast this picture of 
the fall of human power and glory, the decay of empires and the death of 
pagan creeds, with Mersou's "Repose in Egypt," which typifies the 
birth of a new gospel and the dawn of the Christianity of to-day. This 
striking work was first exhibited in the Royal Academy of 1878. 

THE STAMPEDE (Facing page 45.) 

Rosa Bonheub, Painter. T. Landseer, Engraver. 

A brilliant and spirited composition by this illustrious French artist. 
A herd of terrified oseu is dashing through a flock of sheep, with most 
disastrous effect, despite the etturts of the shepherds, whose cudgels fall 
unnoticed upon the huge and panic-stricken creatures. 

THE CHESS-PLAYERS (Facing page 47.) 

Meissonier, Painter. A. Blanchard, Engraver. 

A characteristic scene by the greatest painter of modern France. It 
depicts an interior, with a table iu the foreground, at which are two 
gentlemen ia eighteenth-century costume, playing chess. One has made 
a good move, and watches with an amused expression the perplexity of 
his opponent. 



(i) 



EXORDIUM. 

Be III" inti'c[)iil Ilcnrt, () tlioii who soanst 

These liiR's, j'or here thou ail to be enlraueed! 

Weird is this Avorld, its dawns and dusks outspread 

"With gleams of fading stai-s and ghunours dread! 

The ever silent Hours, in jewelled robes 

Of moments vestured, as the sparkling globes 

Of fallen dews in the fresh morning glint 

And straight are gone, leaving nor sign nor hint, 

So come the voiceless Hours, so pass away, 

Dissolving in the waxing, waning Day. 

Illusive Day! where is thy phantom hiir? — 
Or art thou infinite and everywhere? — 
Chasing the sunbeams up and down the Avorld, 
From orient gates, till evening shades have furled 
Their sombre folds around thee as a pall, 
And tlion departest as the shadows fall. 

Gone whither, waif from oti' this rolling sphere? 

Gone over ocean tides to disa])pt'ar 

In that vast vortex Past where all that was 

Lies prone with worlds and ail their primal cause. 

(5) 



These are thy Days, observer, gazing here, 
Comhig and rushing by to disappear! 
Be not dismayed ! — they have in charge for thee, 
For good or ill, thy coming Destiny! 

Approach! — this volmne open with good heed; — 
Where thou dost open, thou thy fate niayst read ; - 
Be not dismayed, but l)rave of lieart, and here 
Thy future shall thee bless Avitli strength and checr,- 
Give solace, — or thy cautious footsteps lead, 
And bring thee courage in thy day of need! 

(6) 



Sibyllii}^ C^au^5 



CI) c 0^ r !3 1 i c It c r ♦ 

Be not thou rash to dally with thy fate, 
^N'or all too swift its mystery to ti'aiislate: 
Before thee iilaced, let the closed volume lie; 
Open whei-e some fair page shall meet thine eye, 
And read with care the lines that prescience seals: 
"The Omen" unto thee thy fate reveals. 

(8) 



THE REVERY. 

Fiir loll the ocean tides to shores unknown, 

Beyond tlie verge where skies and waters meet; 

Or surg-'mg from those strands, with hollow moan, 
What from their caverns lay they at our feci? 

The hreezes wall their rippling way along. 
In swaying waltzes Avith the waters' sheen; 

Their timbrels wake the sui'ges into song. 
The spirit luring on to the unseen. 

Ah, where, in all this world of sense and sight, 
To visions of the spirit is there bound? 

What realms are those to which it taketh tlight, 
Where Silence reigneth o'er the vast profound? 

Oh, there are tides of being in the soul 
That ebb and flow in spiritual deeps, — 

From shores we know not ol', that wayward roll 
And lull to dreams the spirit as it sleeps! 

And there are airs from off the distant plains 
That to the dreamer bear celestial sweets, 

Until the wanderer Paradise regains, 
And yearning impulse in fruition meets! 

(9) 



THE O J^I E ^T 

Give to thy visions, Dreamer, their behest, 
"VVouldst thou possess at hist a restful soul! 

They will not be denied their yearning quest, — 
They will be masterful beyond control. 

They are the scintillations of the morn. 

They will with rising splendors crown thy life, 

Awaking inspii-ations yet unborn. 

With higli endeavor and emprises rife. 

Give to thy fancies Avings, and bid them soar 
Upward and onwai'd to empyreal heights, 

N"or dim tlic spai'k that burns forevermore 
"Within thee, for thy Destiny it lights. 

Thou shalt liring forth from Fancy's wide domain 
Creations that will mortal vision bless 

And turn iniwary wanderers again 

The pathway to their native heaven to press. 

Go, till thy mission to a waiting Avorld, 

For it hath need of thee and jwwers like thine! 

Ti-iumphant let thy banner be unfurled, — 

Thy work accomplished, — and thy rest divine. 

( 10 ) 



THE FAIR ANGLER. 

Not all that OH tlu^ suiTace lies 

Is seen, or whiliuT tmids tlie liiK', — 

For there are visions that the eyes 
Allnre Avith radiance divine, — 

That Hit l)efore the orbs of si<^ht, 

And nil their liquid depths with li<^ht. 

Beneath the waters' placid face 

The finny tribes unnumbered rove, — 

But there are other Hues tliat trace 

Their wayward spells to glen or grove, 

AVhose witchery hath potent art 

To tangle meshes of the heart! 

Disport your gambols glad and free, 
Ye denizens of liquid deeps! — 

For there are other toils to see 

"NVliere other haunt its ro\ers keeps; 

Invisible the lines are there, 

Unheeded on the ambient air. 

O heart, tumultuous with delight. 

Of idle wanderings beware! 
There have been hearts before whose plight 

Has been themselves to lose. Take care! 
There is a spell thou canst not Ijreak 
That yet may thee a ca]itive take 

(11) 



THE O M E X . 

Oh. there is beauty everywhere, 
Entreating but the passing gaze; 

And forms of loveliness are there 
To trance the heart to diverse ways; 

It can its impulse but obey, — 

It may not break itself away. 

And thou shalt find thy fate to be, 
Whose eager eyes these lines pursue, 

That such shall be thy destiny, — 
The treasure of thy heart to woo. 

The Avell-belov(3d One to gain, 

Thy being's being to remain. 

Accept with loving faith the tin-all, 
The silken lines ai-ound thee thro-\\m; 

They give thee but thine all in all, 
They bind thee only to thine own, — 

Heart unto hcai-t united, one, — 

The life above on earth begun. 

Oh, bless thy stars that thou art blest 
With life so halcyon, so divine! 

Thy yearning spirit shall have rest. 
And sweet delights of life be thine; 

So shall thy days serenely move. 

And fulness of thy blessing prove. 

(12) 



WITHOUT A CLOUD. 

Come, hri'ozc's, dance along liic Ira, 

In winsome frolic glad and free; 

Waltz, ripples of the silver stream, 

AVitli min-ored plumes that by thee gleam; 

And rovers of the flitting wing, 

Your carols all exultant sinjr! 



'o 



Cerulean are the heavens above, 
Resounding ecstasies of love; 
There is not o'er the sea or shore 
One sound discordant to deplore; 
Oh, happy, happy day, that fills 
The heart and all its pulses thrills! 

"The ivy wreath shall be entwined. 

And with my flaunting locks combined ; 

And I will be a hajjpy thing, 

A blossom of the blooming spi-ing; 

For there shall be unsullied bliss 

On day so heavenly fair as tliis.'" 

Ilast thou discerned, O maiden lairl 
A world of dreams without a cai-e? 
Then be thy sunny fiicc and licart 
The perfect picture that thou art. 
And never hapless ills betide 
The raptures that in thee abide. 

(13) 



THE O M E X . 

O lingerer by this mystic line! 
What nntold happiness is thine! 
For thee the world is bi-ight and fair, 
For thee the kindly Fates prepare 
The bliss that favored mortals know, — 
Days joyous only they bestow. 

Take thou the brimming cup, and quaff! 
Take up the ivy crown, and laugh! 
Disport thee as a lamb at play 
In sunny vales the livelong day; 
:No lurking ill shall make thee fear, 
There shall no harm approach thee near. 

If there were paradise below, 

It were for thee, so blest, to know! 

Go, seek the pearly-blazoned gate, 

For a new Eden may elate 

Thy soul with ecstasy divine, 

And heaven itself on earth be thine! 

To other realms of bliss the way 
To chosen ones the Fates display; 
And they, O hai)py one! for thee 
Hold forth the gleaming golden key; 
Enter upon th}' jiroud domain, 
The joys of earth and heaven to gain. 

(11) 



HARMONY. 

Tender and soCt and low 
Was tlie melody you played, 

Touehiny the keys with simple art; 

Thrilled with Die heavenly lay, my heart 
Forgrot its woe. 



'e>" 



In the twilight gloom T dreamed 

A dream of the musie horn; 
And far from the city's hum and roar, 
On the hills of my boyhood's home once more 
A child I seemed. 

The tops of the pine trees stirred 

With the echo of a sigh. 
I saw the moonbeams kiss the lake; 
On pebbly shore the rijjples' break 
In fancy heard. 

I knew that the tones nnist cease, 
And with them vanisli the dri'am; 

lint still, as the twilight shadows fell 

My senses yielded to music's spell. 
My soul found jjeace. 

(15) 



THE O M E ^^ . 

Hear what the Fates decree : — 
Chosen and crowned art thon! 
Power to produce the healhig start 
Of tears that ache in a grief-bound heart 
Is given thee. 

f 

Sorrow shall be thy guest. 

Thus shalt thou entertain 
One of God's angels, who shall teach 
Thy soul sweet sympathy's golden speech, 
And make thee blest. 

Erom depths oi" human wrong- 
To heights where the spirit soars, 
Up and down the beautiful stair 
The crosses of others thy soul shall bear 
On waves of song. 

This, then, thy mission is, — 
To draw from the throbbing keys 
Of hearts that yield to thy healing touch 
Life's sorrowful discords, and make of such 
Heaven's harmonies. 

(16) 



^l* 





THE LARK 

O song'ster lii;j^h in heaven! Ihv joyou-; note 
KoU nut upon the skies from hurstinjj throat; 
On banks of i-oses tranced, tlie listening ear 
Shall all the warblings of thy raptures hear; 
The lifted gaze shall skyward trace thy course, 
And see in heaven thy inspiration's source. 

What tiny form is thinc' the da}' to meet 
"With matin carols so divinely sweet! 
Hou' canst thou seek Aiu'ora's beaming cai-, 
Swift mounting up the orient afar, 
A glimmer thou of ever waning light, 
Till in a thrill of music lost to sight! 



'O' 



Sing on, sweet warbler of unweai-ying wing, 

AVith all the tlutter of thy being sing! 

The endless sweeps of space are all for thee, 

And thou to i-ealms above my guide shalt be, 

Alluring to its native heaven my soul. 

As o'er its jjlains thy strains melodious roll. 

For thy career is in the inlinite. 
Where vast or puny forms alike may flit. 
There is no measure for thy form or llight 
In those eternal rounds of boundless liiiht. 
Soar, little songster, in thy native sphere, 
And kindivd spirits all thy i-;iptnrcs hcai'! 



THE OMEN. 

Give ear, O dweller on this mundane sphere! 

And thou, intent, a strain from heaven shalt hear, — 

Sweet sounds to thrill tlie chords that in thee dwell. 

Till with responsive, melodies they swell, 

And ecstasies of gladness in thee bide, 

Ineffable, an ever-welling tide. 

Lo, it is thine, a child of heaven, to hear 
The strains by choirs angelic wafted near; 
To bid thy spirit on and upward roam 
To its divine abode, its natal home, — 
In one eternal round of endless day 
To stretch the shining wing and soar away. 

Read, read thy destiny, O child of light! 

Read, and pursue thy lofty course aright; 

Fear not, nor tremble at the voice divine, 

That bids the vast i-esplendent heavens be thine; 

When lost thou art to sublunary sight, 

Thy song of gladness will the world delight. 

(18) 



THE IMPROVISED SHIELD. 

Hey-day! a liiniu'i-, well I wolmi, 

Seekinj; another Kden lost! 
Canst trace the spii-it of the scene, 

"With all its liHits and shadows crossed? 

A shepherdess, with distatt' Heeced; 

A goat, disdainlal of surprise; 
Kids, indolent, their l)leating's ceased, — 

These, and what more arrests our eyes? 

The farmer's kine and loaded wain 
Are stayed beside the open way; 

What holds the farmer's steps amain? 
What here do his broad fields display? 

He sees there pencillings of things 
That waken all his curious lore; 

And there are flittings blight of wings 
He hath not heard or seen before. 

The smiling landscape all is here, — 

Some tracings by a hand well skilled, — 

But yet no artist doth appear, 
With art's divinest frenzy filled! 

Since Eden was tliere have been ways 
Beyond the inmost ken of xVrt; 

From earliest to latest days 

They leave their tracings on the heart! 

(19) 



THE O M E ^ . 

There i^ a mystery before 

Thy plodding step that bids thee stay; 
Conceahnent thou must not explore 

That will not brook the light of day. 

Beware! nor seek too much to know! 

For in the hidden ways of men 
The tides of life 'have underflow 

Beyond the reach of human ken. 

There was forbidden fruit of old 
In pendant glory on the tree; — 

It is not well thou shouldst imfold 
A mystery not meant for thee. 

With thine own welfare be content, 
Nor seek of others' lives control; 

Thou mayst thine ill-timed course lament 
In very bitterness of soul. 

A kindly providence shall shape 
The secret danger all aright, — 

That sorrow's garments may not drape 
In woe's habiliments thy sight. 

It is not given unto man 

All mysteries of life to know, — 

There is enough, in all its span, 
For thee of haii, or weal, or woe. 

(20) 



HE'S GONE. 

Gone! — gone! Ah me! wiiat void is this 
Within my iieait forlorn I iindy 

fiono arc mv fondest dreams amiss, — 
Vanished adown tlie way he twined. 

Whither, all, whither will he wend 
His path beyond my utmost gaze? 

Oh, will lie, at the journey's end, 
Recall the bliss of other days? 

Peace, peace, my troubled heart! be still! 

Thy hopes are but a vision passed! 
Thy wild, tumultuous beatings will 

But bring thee dire dismay at last! 

Ah, ever, ever is it so! 

My hajipy days, with bliss rei^lete, 

Are shadowed with untimely woe, 

And dread comes creeping at my feet. 

Are there no happier skies than these. 
Where livelong days may joy prolong? — 

Where from the blossom-burdened trees 
May ever thrill ecstatic song? 

But wait, my ever-throbbing lieai-t, 

Ilowe'er thv skies be overcast! 
There may for thee be happier jiart, — 

There may for thee be bliss at last! 

(21) 



THE O M E X . 

What golden moment now hath flown 
To johi the long array before! — 

Leaving but onl}' hollow moan 
Resounding on the lonely shore! 

Ah! many are the tides of fate 

That break along the sands of time; 

And many are the bai-ques too late 
The effluent, vaulting wave to climb. 

Thy opportunity is gone, 

Thou loiterer by the open sea! 

By others there are prizes won, — 
There is no prize, alas! for thee! 

Oh, leave these paths of senseless ease, 
Ere all thy best of life be lost, — 

And let thine earnest spirit seize 

Its Avinsome gifts ere tempest-tossed! 

Thy days are passing as a dream, — 
A hopeless dream they soon will be; 

Thy fancies are not what they seem, — 
They have no biding joy for thee. 

Thou hast thy life, and its command, — 
Thou hast thy will, and its control,— 

Then let thy spirit take its stand. 
And wake in thee a living soul! 

(22) 



THE SPRING CONCERT. 

A flutter of wings in the anil)i'i- aii-, 

A drowsy Imm in the grasses; 
A phishing, musical cadence where 

Tile brooklet Ijriglit 
In ripples of light 
Over the pebbles passes. 

The south wind swings in the blossoming trees, 

The Avest wind lingers, dreaming. 
The clover sways to the murmuring bees, 
And butterflies gay 
'Mid cowslips play, 
With golden sun-gifts gleaming. 

I see sweet May in her beauty stand 

Where fairest flowers are springing. 
An arrow of Love in her upraised hand, 
And Love by her side, 
With book held wide, 
That birds may be merrily singing. 

She trails her garments across the fields. 
And, thrilled by her magical sAveetness, 
Each dainty blossom its fragrance yields, 
On wings of air 
The promise to bear 
Of the opening year's completeness. 

(-'3) 



THE O M E :^ . 

A winter of grief thy soul shall know, 

All ice-bound voice of sadness. 
Under cold shrouds of drifting snow 

Buried shall lie — 

But not to die — 



Blossoms of life's bright gladness. 



Xo, not to die ! -=— for the days will pass, 

And a ray of sunshine quiver 
On germs that shall rijien in waving grass, 
And the sunless stream 
Of a winter's dream 
Shall flow like a beautifid river. 

For Spring must come to her own again; 

And out of thy heart will vanish 
The desolate sense of a frozen pain, 
And radiant flowers 
From memory's bowers 
The Avintcr of gloom shall banish. 

Look up, sad heart, for joy must come! 

Look up, and hope in thy sorrow! 
For birds shall carol that now are dumb; 
And the Storm-King's shadow 
Shall melt from the meadow 
And leave green life there to-morrow. 

(24) 








'f-' 1 J^ 



4> (P ^ ^^- ■ 




A HELPING HAND. 

Ay, " where there is ;i will there is a way ! " 

And wiio shall duubt tlie will those arms display? — 

Or who shall measure the consummate aid 

Bestowed l)y helping hand of this wee maid, 

Whose puny palms upon the huge oar rest, 

And all her willing, eager strength attest? 

Think you assistance small those little palms 
Convey, those gently mi^ving, outstretched arms. 
The blithesome form, erect, securely braced, 
The solemn face with sense of duty traced, 
The lighted eye on eddying waters glanced. 
Bespeaking all the inner being tranced? 

Oh, bid the sturdy one beside her there 

In honest truth his own good sense declare, — 

"What help the little child is giving him! — 

Or read it 'neath the weather-beaten i-im 

That slouches o'er the features wreathed with smiles, 

As plies the innocent her gentle wiles. 

Not always jjower is with the strong alone, 

Howe'er it triumj)!! in a force its own, — 

For there are impulses that have their sway 

In hearts and lives, that man must needs obey, — 

Sparks from anothei- to this lower sphere 

That Heaven dispenses human steps to cheer. 

(25) 



THE OMEN. 

Thou art upon a sea, O child of fate! 

Where safety on thy sturdy arm may Avait, 

Oh not alone, for there is treachery 

In calms that far away outstretch for thee. 

Thou mayst have need of e'en thine utmost skill, 

Thou mayst require the strength of all thy will. 

Disdain not, in the guise of helping liand. 

The gracious aid that may high Heaven command, ■ 

In very weakness blessed with power divine 

In more than mortal panoply to shine. 

To pluck from Heaven the vigor to resist 

The ills that threaten, shrouding thee in mist. 

For there shall come to thee a tender guide, 

To aid thee with a living joy and pride, — 

Whose form of innocence beside thine own 

Shall lead thee forth where dangers ai-e unknown,- 

Shall bid thee labor, happy and serene. 

While close with thine the helping hand is seen. 

Fear not! thou shalt not wander all alone; 

Thy course shall be o'er sparkling waters shown ; • 

There shall no harm attend thee on thy Avay, 

The waves shall linger, Avanton in their play ; — 

The hand of innocence, with glad delight, 

Shall aid thee, ever blessed in thy sight. 

(26) 



■f-\ 




,v^-. 



CUPID SLEEPING, 

Sleei)! sleop! mischievous gud, oh, sk-ep!- 
If there be si)ell that may entrance 
The wizard l)rightne.ss of thy glance, 

And erewhile l)id thi-e quiet keep! 

On folded wiug, oh, lie thee low, 

And rest thee on thine unstrung bow. 

Perchance some hearts may warning take 
And flee away ere thou dost wake; 
Perchance while tliou dost idly dream 
Beside the pensive, lulling stream. 
Some may pluck out thy fateful darts, 
And find again unrended hearts. 



'&' 



What hast thou done, O roving sprite! 

Now on this sylvan bank at rest? 
Oh, hast thou wearied of the light, — 

Become with all thy pranks oppressed.^ 
That thou dost leave lone heai-ts at ease. 
To flaunt and flutter as they please? 

Ah, what shall come when thou dost rouse, 
With outstretched wing to roam again. 

And hearest swains and maidens' vows 
Renewed among the haunts of nn'U? 

Say, rosy god, what Avilt thou do, 

When all the groves thou wanderesl tlu-ough? 

(27) 



THE O ]SI E ^ . 

Hush! rude, uututored, reckless one! 

Oh, hush! and careful vigil keep, 
Lest thy poor heart shouldst be undone. 

There lies a very god asleep, 
Whose furtive glance, should he awake, 
May all thy being captive take. 

While Cupid sleeps thou mayst be free. 

When Cupid shall awake, beware! 
There have been many, proud like thee. 

That he hath brought to grim despair. 
Hearts obdurate are his delight; 
ISTo coat of mail can him despite. 

Thy destiny is in thy hand, 

O wayward, restless, roving one! — 

And thou mayst still thyself command. 
As circlets of thy days shall run, 

So prudence guide thy wandering eyes, 

Not seeking out where Cupid lies. 

But the whole world is Cupid's dower, 
And every spot beneath the sun 

Has known the impulse of his power. 
The bleeding hearts he hath undone. 

Thy destiny is in thy hand; 

How long canst thou thyself command? 

(28) 



WOODLAND VOWS. 

In summer time when woods were green 

And meadows sweet with haying, 
AVhere flickering shade and golden sheen 
Fell down low-drooping boughs between, 

My Love and I went straying. 

The spicy tops of pine-trees stirred 

Wliere zeyphrs soft were playing; 
Our whispers low the shy leaves heard. 
And laughed and danced, but breathed no word 

Of what my Love was saying. 

Oh, happy, happy was the hour. 

And gayly birds were singing; 
Each graceful fei-n in shady bower 
Thrilled with a new, mysterious power, 

And flower-bells fair w^ere ringing. 

We canned some letters on the tree 
Beneath whose boughs were spoken 

Our woodland vows, — and we shall see, 

Grown deeper, in the years to be, 
Our love and love's fond token. 

(29) 



THE OMEN. 

To love and to be loved — O Heart, 

This is th}^ destined story! 
In vain tempt science, letters, art — 
For thou wilt choose the better jiart, 

And ci-own thy life with glory. 

Through sun and shade thy feet shall tread 

In pleasant woodland places, 
Where birds shall sing above tliy head. 
And all the ground be overspread 

With dainty floweret faces. 

Life's storms shall pass thy peaceful bowers; 

But summer clouds shall sprinkle 
Thy path with drops from summer showers, 
Which, caught in hearts of fragrant flowers, 

As healing- tears shall twinkle. 



'o 



Midst rural scenes, with one to bless 

And cheer with smile approving, 
A mind content shalt thou possess, 
And find life's highest happiness 
In being loved and loving. 

(30) 



THE BETROTHAL 

A health to yoii, fnir iiiaiil and swain! — 
With length of clays a life of cheer! — 

Your footsteps paradise i-egain, 
As circles on the rolling year; 

The Fates decree that all is well, 

And merry as a marriage-bell. 

Your parents fond pledge life and bliss; 

Y'our kin in your delight rejoice; 
What moment liappit'r than this 

Can future days give cheery voice? 
Your ])lighted troth is sealed and blest, — 
Kind Heaven its happiness attest. 

Fair as the rose her girdle decks 

This queen that rules this festal hour; 

Proud of the hand he grasps, what recks 
The youth who sways the sov'reign power? 

It is enough to own the spell 

Whose ties time never may dispel. 

So hand to hand, and heart to heart, 

Are pledged for aye, come good or ill, — 

Two lives as one have common part, 
A single purpose, single will, — 

So may this prescient hour foretell 

The joy that in these hearts shall dwell. 

(31) 



THE OMEK. 

Dost know the happiness that waits 
Upon thy way, expectant heart? 

For thee propitions are tlie Fates; 
A thing of Hfe and joy thon art; 

Thy coming days are glad and bright, - 

Thy very being a deUglit. 

For lo! thon hast a charmed life, 
A being more than is thine own; 

In other souls there may be strife, — 
In thine it never may be known; 

Thy double being all is fair, — 

A world thine own the Fates prepare. 

For thou and thine united are 

In thought, in purpose, and in Avill ; 

The tumult of rude life afar 

From thee is banished and is still ; 

Oh, be thy double self complete, 

Two hearts as one their joys repeat. 

Behold, these halcyon days are thine. 
And doul)ly thine, O plighted heart! 

Disport in ecstasy divine. 

Thy bliss imbibe, thy bliss impart; 

The brimming cup of nectar waits 

The lijjs so blest kind Heaven elates. 

(32) 



WEDDED, 

O Rome! the world's pi-oud mistress, say if tliou 
III thy imperial greatness IoimikhI a vow 
More truly ^nelding heart t(. heart delight, 
Than binds the wedded pair before our sight? 
AYhat are thy palms, motht'r of nations, say, 
That bear thine honors on to latest day? 
What gave thee o'er mankind thy sov'reign power. 
And made the world thine own resplendent dower? 

The stalwart forms, heroie, of thy sons! — 
Thy proud, majestic daughters — stately ones! 
In moulds of godlike grace and beauty cast, 
They bade their impress on the nations last. 
The leopard gave his shaggy hide to deck 
The bi-awny shoulders that he could not wreck; 
A spouse as noble rests upon its spots 
As bides in palaces or humbler cots. 

"Weld your firm hearts with love's diviner fires. 
Ye noble souls, enwrajjt witli fond desires; — 
Ye have another world to rule,— your own; 
The gods have led you, and its portals shown; 
Oh, enter in, assume your royal state, 
Nor let the glories of your reign abate ; 
Ye are the proudly great of all the earth, 
Be yours life's grandeur, all that life is worth. 

(33) 



THE O M E X . 

Mortal supremely blest, what joy is thine! 

How art thou ftivored by a power divine! 

Thy life is rounded to existence new; 

The world before thee wears its brightest hue. 

Since Eden was, so hath the edict grown, 

" It is not good for man to be alone." 

So hath it been since iirst the race began. 

And woman, gift divine, God gave to man. 

Thine is the double life of wedded bliss, 

That maketh paradise of world like this. 

Oil, be the hai)piness that Eden graced 

The guerdon Heaven within thy grasp hath placed; 

Fruits luscious to behold, but guilt defiled, 

Be ashen to thy spirit unbeguiled; — 

Virtue shall hail thee as her chosen one; 

Thy being here be life in heaven l)egun. 

Rejoice, O mortal! in thy happy lot, 

For not on earth for thee is happier spot. 

In other heart thy counterpart complete. 

Around thy steps the heavens their splendors mete,— 

One roseate dawn, one Occident of flame, 

The span of life reflects, alike the same; 

For love, divinely kindled in the breast. 

In perfect bliss finds here its heavenly rest. 

(34) 



THE DEFIANCE, 

Whatjiol my noble Roman, wild ol' eye, 
And Hashinii- ire. -what is it ye descry? — 
Obstruction to lliinc all-imperious will, 
That with Defiance all thy soul doth fill? 
So wrought the blood of Rome in other form, 
^Vhcn nations vanished at its gushings warm, 
And an obedient world in homage fell 
Subservient, mastered by its mighty spell. 

The puny figure crushed beneath thy foot 
Bespeaks no object of thy dire pursuit ; 
Tears cannot move thee from thy purpose fell, 
And gaze of horror doth thy fury swell; — 
The niati-on of the household well presides. 
But her derisive laugh shall quell no tides 
Upheaving, angry, in thy swelling breast, 
That all thy valiant lineage attest. 

Thou canst not be subdued l)y foe before, 

Turned by resistance, nor by suppliance more; 

Derision cannot quench thy flaming fire. 

Nor iimocence dispel thine intent dire. 

But at thy back, proud youth, there lurks a ibrce 

To change the tenoi- ol' thy fearless course, — 

A Nemesis appears, retreat to urge, 

And lash thy Ibrm with swift-descending scourge. 

(35) 



THE O ]V[ E X . 

What spirit turbulent liath wrought thy soul 
To frenzy witli its awful, dire control? 
How plantest thou thy foot defiant down 
On trophies as the conqueror of a crown? 
How standest thou devoid of mortal fear, 
Thy will alone tlie voice thy soul may hear, — 
Thy being, fashioned in heroic mould, 
Filled with defiant energies untold? 

Thoii hast the attitude of manly fight, 
That may the weak, the timorous, affright; 
Thou hast the Avill to dare and bravely do, 
Whate'er besets thy path to trample through; 
Thou canst not fi-om thy purpose be allured, 
And wisdom to the winds hast cast abjured; 
Thy martial bosom, heaved with thy conceit, 
Invites the onset, mindless of retreat. 

Thou art usuri)er, proud, defiant one! 

Thy headstrong course its downfall hath begun. 

There are no worlds in this broad age of light 

For reign of lawless riot over right. 

Thy soul with fell ambition runneth o'er, — 

And the avenging Fates for thee in store 

Have retributions, numberless and sure, 

To turn thee back to nobler purpose pure. 

(36) 



THE ROSE OF DESTINY, 

How say'st thoii. Rose? 
Upon thy [H'tiils palu 1 leave — a kiss. 
Wilt tell my destiny? For pay like this 
Wilt thou the Fates expose? 

Thyself T chose 
From all thy sisters fair, hecause thou art 
Pure gold, from stately erowu to fragrant heart. 
Thou art superb. Queen Rose! 

How swiftly blows 
The summer breeze about thee! Zephyrs bear 
Thy sweetness through the opal-tinted air, 
To what far heights, who knows? 

But what disclose 
The breath-turned petals as I gaze on thee? 
What is it here? A little prisoned bee, 
In dream-enchanted doze! 

What meaning glows 
Symbolical thi-ough this that answers me? 
The bee can sting, —but gathers honey. See! 
Thou, too, hast thorns, fair Rose! 

(37) 



THE O M E I^ . 

Wouldst thou be wise 
Concerning mysteries? Then do not fear 
To gaze upon the future drawing near; 
For that way wisdom Hes. 

Time, as he flies, 
Shall bring thee much of sunshine, many showers, 
Alluring thus life's rarest, loveliest flowers 
Along thy path to rise. 

Pleased with the prize 
These thou shalt gather. If some blossoms fall. 
And Init the stem remain, what matter? All 
Fade not because one dies. 

Say not, with sighs, 
"Alas! the flowers of life! how soon they fade!" 
The joy of having doubly joy is made 
That pain possession buys. 

AVith searching eyes 
Deep in the rose-heart look. "Who carefully 
Doth scan all things that in his path may be 
Meets many a glad surprise. 

(38) 



PITY AND LOVE ARE AKIN. 

A'icissitudi', of moi'liil lifr (U'creo 
IiH'Xoi'iihle, oh, why must thou In'? 
Can never mortal be su]iremely l)U'st, 
liut tliy reverses crowd to hrinj^- unrest? 
AVliy art thou ever at the step of man, 
To disconcert so oft his well-laid plan? 

And yet tliou art a minister of grace, 

O wayward ])ower! having in life thy place. 

Thou art a handmaid of the scheme divine, 

That in life's vineyard bids the tendril twine. 

The swaying vine securely lifting high, 

Till luscious clusters greet the admiring eye. 

Then, Sadness, on these lineaments so fair, 
Trace thou the sorrows that thyself declare, — 
The pensive gaze in far-off skies shall seek 
The solace hitman lip may nevei* speak, — ■ 
The c-las])ing hands in silent I'cst repose, 
And melancholy all the mien dispose. 

Ah, Avho shall gauge the impulses within, 
"When love and pity ever are akin? 
A place there is in sympathizing heart 
Wliere radiant lioj)e and tender love impart 
Their yearning fondness as a potent spell. 
In silent language saying, "All is well!" 

(39) 



THE O M E ^ . 

Forth in the checkered ways of life pursue 
Thy devious way, th}^ cliangeful hours renew; — 
With beaming- light shall shadows alternate, 
And bring to thee vicissitudes of fate ; — 
As thou art true of soul shall Heaven decree 
A blessed issue of thy days to be. 

Oh, keep thy heart as open as the day ; 
For needed tenderness in spirit pray ! 
It shall be thine to witness wan distress, 
The burden share, and make the sorrow less ; 
For thou slialt loveliness in grief relieve, 
And in thy soul enkindled love receive. 

So shalt thou be endowed with life anew, — 
Comi)lacently its lights and shadows view, — 
For thoy to thee shall Heaven's own blessing bear. 
And all thy being for new life prepare, — 
Thou shalt the beaming crown of glory win, 
For in thee love and pity are akin. 

Go forth, with eye observant and serene, 
The gathering cloud discern, the golden sheen ; 
There is no place existing here below 
Where bliss forever can be void of woe ; 
Go forth, and seek in life its better part. 
While kindred love and j^ity bless thy heart. 

(40) 




*s?. 



'^^ .,. 






THE BREEZE. 

Delightful Breeze! 
Uprising in xhv aii-, 
And dancing everywhere 

From billowy seas, 
Come to this Hebe's seat, 

And dally at her feet. 

A blushing I'ose 
She offers thee, sweet Breeze! 
Its flitting petals seize, 

For they diselose 
Thy winsome, roving way; 
This blithe and happy day. 

AVild, gladsome breeze! 
Disporting o'er the lea, 
AVhat fairies follow thee 

To waving trees 
In sylvan shades, to play 
The winged hours away! 

On billows green 
Of waving, feathery grain. 
Thou trippest o'er the ])lain, 

A sprite unseen. 
To bowers of tendrilled trees 
Afar, refreshing Breeze! 

(41) 



THE O M E X . 

The sage hath word 
For thee from leaves of lore, 
Of glad import, before 

Thou hast not heai"d. 
That bi-ings thee joy and cheer, 
The happy message hear. 

There is for thee 
A blessed change to come, 
When ills most burdensome 

Away shall flee, 
And thou shalt be relieved 
Of woes that have thee grieved. 

There is delight 
Awaiting thee, lone heart! 
Anon shall better part 

Redeem thy plight. 
And thou shalt be at ease, 
As sports the gladsome breeze. 

With sultry days 
Faint not, o'erwearied one, 
For ere the blazing sim 

Shall veil his i-ays 
There shall be blessed airs ' 
Dispelling all thy cares. 

(42) 



PERSEPOLIS. 

Unseal 3'our lips, O bnriod ages jioi-o! 

AVhcrc are the living beings once ye knew? 
Who wrought these lofty turrets, now your hiei-? 

What forms these marbled eourses wandered throuirhV 



■o 



Dumb! — dumb! — Oh, what unuttei-able thought 
Bi'oods I'ver o'er j'our vcneral)le mould! 

HoAv liatli the yearning spii-it vainly sought 
The mystery of your being to unfold! 

W^hei-e trod the foot of monareh among men, 
The lizard o'er the slimy iDavement creeps; 

The lordlv lion roams, and seeks its den 
Where Iniried grandeur now forever sleeps. 

O aneient days, with ancient splendors rife! 

What were ye all but pageant of a dream? 
W^hat is the passing of an age of life. 

But a mere shadow of the things that seemV 

An age is come — an age is gone — no more! 

Xow for a season have we being here; — 
Ah! tliere have been, what mortals hei-e before? — 

Who in tlic after ages shall appear? 

Ye speak, O ruins! to mine inmost soul; 

Ve tell me of the number of my days; 
Your oracles my senses all control, 

And bid me, trembling, silent, heed my wajs. 

(43) 



THE O M E X . 

Lo! there are other scenes and other times, 

That bid thee ponder and their m3'steries trace, — 

They slumber ever in the ancient rimes 

That o'er them crept from a dejjarted race. 

Oh, canst thou solve the riddles of the Past? — 
Or canst thou read the scrolls of days long gone? 

Canst thou, where ancient cities lie aghast, 
Their glories trace in early ages born? 

For Desolation it is thine to seek 

In far-otf lands of early-peopled earth, 

Where crumbling ruins the departed speak, 
Where first the races of mankind had birth. 

Xot here is it for thee to linger on, 

To while away the long, the listless day; 

Tui-n thou to peoples and to ages gone, 

And their jjroud being to the world display. 

The living Avorld is. for the passing hour. 
Each moment lapsing to the vanished Past, 

There is not aught of pride, or pomp, or power, 
Bnt Time remorseless shall ensrulf at last. 



D 



Pore o'er the ways that have been, dim and lone, 
Though denizened with beasts and reptile shapes; 

The world by thee its future may be shown, 
As age with age Time's hoary mantle drapes. 

(44) 



THE STAMPEDE. 

Oh, wliiit insensate havoc meets us hii-e! — 

Ungoveriied fury iu its wild career! 

What reeks thi; phuigiuy and afl'righted l)rute 

Of danijer iu the van of ch-ead pursuit? 

"With fiery eyehalls from their sockets thrust, 

Thev sweep, a maddeued host, and plough the dust; 

With mouths of foam and nostrils wide distent, 

A rolling cloud of beast with beast is blent. 

Fl}'! shei)herds, fl}'! the surging mass is here! — 

Your charge of innocents in peril near! — 

SAvift to the onset! — plant the sturdy foot, 

And every inch of way deliant moot! 

Be human skill with brutal strength essayed, — 

By heart of steel l)e heart of flesh dismayed! 

Stand to the vortex of tiie raging fight. 

Lift front to front, and sway the arm of might! 

Lo! in the ivalm of nature's wide domain, 
Valiant shall man assert triumphant reign, 
What shall the forces of this world disclose, 
That wit or science may not all dispose? 
True to the ruling power divine within, 
The heart of valor shall the victory win. 
Subdue the onset fierce of brutal might. 
To peace and quiet quell tiie dread allVight. 

(45) 



THE O M E IS" . 

Alarms are round about thee in the air! 

Foi' dangers Avild, imiietuous, prepare! 

It may be rush of waters, Avild and Avaste, 

That o'er the haunts of men ungoverned haste, — 

It may be savage instmcts, wild with fear, 

In frantic onslaught treacherous rushing near, — 

It may be war's impending black array, 

Bearing to helpless souls a dire disma3^ 

Oh, there are those who have their trust iu thee. 
Whose lives have been initrammelled, peaceful, free ; 
Look to the fold, — and meet the danger Avell, — 
Howe'er it come, resist its onslaught fell; 
Be thine the lion heart, the conquering arm. 
The will to meet and subjugate alarm, — 
The ])Ower to strike for freedom and the I'ight; 
Shield of thv charo'e, — a soul of liviii2;" might! 

For it is written iu thy leaves of fate, 
Tliat thou shalt meet disaster, flei'ce and great! 
Thy frighted, lone dependents, trampled down, 
Shall meet, or life or death, — a f;ite their own; 
As thou shalt meet the crisis, thou and thine 
Shall rescued or disastrous ends combine; 
Take to thyself thine utmost stretch of power, — 
A heai-t unknown to fear, — and bide the hour. 

C4G) 



Hf '*•■ 4 




THE CHESS-PLAYERS. 

As in iIh- olden linu', so is it still, — 

The puppets move as j^uides the player's skill; 

(Jrave eombinations luie the earnest gaze, 

Till lost in an inifathomable maze, 

"Where vague conjec-ture takes sn[)reine control. 

And throws its veil of mystery o'er the whole. 

Xow starts the man-at-arms along the front, 
The mitre sallies to the battle's brunt; 
The c-harger dashes to the thiek of fight, 
The turret towers a refuge to the sight; 
The consort of the throne her power displays, 
The monarch rules the contiic-t as it sways. 

Xow meet contending hosts along the line. 
Breast unto breast, till doom to fate resign; 
The post of danger, seized amidst the fray, 
The contest seeks, to save or win the day; 
Fierce rolls the struggle, turning on the cast 
Of but one movement, — hopelessly the last. 

So at the game of life the players sit, 

And for the vantage exercise tlieii- wit; 

The moments, hours, the days or months coml)ini 

For good or ill, as pieces here incline. 

Till, ii-rcsistible, the final mate 

At last gives victory and defeat their late. 

(47) 



THE O M E X . 

How art thou skilled to play this game of life? — 

For it before thee is a game of strife, — 

And thou art jntted to a contest great, 

On which thine utmost prowess needs nuist wait; 

Be thou consummate, cool, iniknown to fear. 

And thy good genii bring thy triumph near. 

For there are plots that threaten all thy peace 
Thou shouldst discern, and force their spells to cease, — 
Thou must each movement sinister, malign, 
"With all discerning vision well divine, — 
With equal mastery *hy forces blend 
The wile to dissipate and bring to end. 

Yet do not rashly lay aside thy task: 

For other vipers by thy footsteps bask; 

Thy hand must countless fierce attacks subdue; 

Through the thick fight thy prowess bear thee through, 

Till thou, triumphant, bear the victor's wreath, 

And in thy conquering might thy weapons sheathe. < 

So shalt thou win thy life's serener state. 
So shalt thou well achieve thy nobler fate; 
The baleful ills, contesting all thy way. 
Shall cease their rankling venom to display, 
And thou shalt rise exalted and supreme, 
As days pass b\', as hies a pleasant dream. 

(48) 



.JlIQ 



